


Keys

by fluffernutter



Category: Brave (2012), Hotel Transylvania (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Apartment AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-03-31
Packaged: 2017-12-07 01:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/742586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffernutter/pseuds/fluffernutter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rapunzel and Merida are the newest residents of E. Aster Bunnymund's humble apartment building. Hijinks and drama ensue as they get to know their new neighbors and settle into their new life away from their families.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keys

**Author's Note:**

> I am hesitantly throwing the teaser to my apartment AU out there into the internet. Treat it gently as I hope to bring more soon.

With a great deal of effort, Rapunzel zipped up her final suitcase. It was crammed full of all her last minute items. Most of her things had been sent away with the moving company already. It was important not to forget anything. She let out a sigh that caused the hair that had fallen on her face to puff up. As she did, Pascal climbed on top of the suitcase and looked up at Rapunzel with curious eyes.

“It’s time to get going, Pascal,” she told him. Rapunzel knelt down so that she was at eye level with her chameleon friend. She pulled the plastic crate that Pascal was to ride in for the duration of the trip. If it weren’t for all the flight safety, Rapunzel would have just had him sit on her lap or shoulder. She was sure Pascal would have preferred it. He was now eyeing the crate with incredible vehemence. “Come on, now. I don’t like it any more than you do, but that’s the way it has to be. Just for today.” She leaned forward and looked at Pascal with wide eyes and a slight pout. Pascal still did not look pleased but he marched forward into the crate. Rapunzel smiled and closed the door.

When Rapunzel stood back up, her mother was just coming to the bedroom door. “Are you ready, dear?” she asked.

Rapunzel took one last look around her bedroom. Save for her herself, Pascal, and the suitcase, the room was empty. The place she had grown up in was suddenly such a strange, blank place; a ghost of what it had once been. She took a breath to steady herself and looked back at her mother. “I think I am.” 

Her mother smiled. “Why don’t I braid your hair one more time while we wait for her father?”

Rapunzel smiled brightly and took a seat on the floor. Her mother sat just behind her and began spinning Rapunzel’s golden hair into a single, thick plait. She worked deftly, as a woman with many years of practice would, and hummed softly. Rapunzel recognized the tune right away and began to sing along.

“ _Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine._ ”

She finished just as her mother tied off the tail of her braid. 

“Still the loveliest voice I’ve ever heard.”

Rapunzel looked and saw her father waiting in the doorway. He chuckled and opened up his arms. Rapunzel stood up and fell into his embrace. His familiar scent of cinnamon and old books surrounded her and a sudden pang of sadness hit her.

“Are you sure about this Rapunzel?” he asked her softly. “You don’t have to go if you aren’t ready. Perhaps another year or two.”

Rapunzel shook her head against his chest. “No.” She looked up at him. Her eyes were glassy but she smiled. “I’m ready. Besides, someone has to be there to make sure Merida doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

\---

“Merida,” Elinor Dunbroch asked as she entered her daughter’s bedroom. “Did you remember to pack your new sheets?”

Merida sighed and leaned up against the bare wall. “Yes, mum. Ages ago.”

“And the dishes that your uncle sent you?”

“Sent away with the movers.”

Merida could see her mother was about to ask another question, so she threw up her hand. “And yes, I made sure ‘ta wrap them up before boxin’ them.”

Elinor nodded before moving on to the next item. “And you have all of the paperwork ready?”

Merida let out another sigh. “Yes mum! I told you I have everything didn’ I?

“Yes.” Elinor paused and looked over her daughter. Merida rolled her eyes and straightened up. She had known her mother would act like this when the big move finally came. All week it had been harsh criticisms and melancholy stares. Merida walked over and put a reassuring hand on her mother’s arm.

“It’ll be fine, mum,” she said. “You know Rapunzel and I are a good team. We’ll be fine as long as we’re together.”

“Yes, well at least one of you will have the sense to be level-headed about this all,” Elinor chided. Despite the comment she smiled softly at her daughter and linked their arms together. “Come on then. Your father and the boys are waiting for us at the car.”

Together they left Merida’s old room and traveled downstairs to the front door. Merida’s brothers were busy wrestling on the front lawn, earning copious grass stains on their clothes. Her father, Fergus, was laughing his loud chortle of a laugh as he watched them. He stopped when he saw Merida and Elinor come out of the house.

“Alright then, boys,” he spoke. “You can battle each other later. Now’s the time to wish your sister well and see her on her way.”

The boys all scrambled to their feet. They straightened their stances and stood in a straight row, but Merida could still see the mischievous glint in their eyes. She laughed as she walked over to them and tousled the red hair atop each of their heads. “Come on then,” she said. “Give us a hug.”

The boys all circled around her and hugged her fiercely. The three were certainly troublemakers in their own rights. Of course, the same could be said of her. All Merida knew right in that moment was that she really would miss them, trouble and all. After their sibling embrace, the whole family piled into the car. Fergus started the engine and began their drive to the airport.

“So are you ready then, my darlin’ girl?” Fergus asked as he glanced to the backseat where Merida sat.

“A’ course I am,” Merida replied with a grin. “Always am.”

\---

Jack sat on the fire escape outside his apartment window. It was his usual spot to sit and relax. It didn’t hurt that it was an excellent spot for watching people come and go on the street below, either. He enjoyed people watching. It was a strange sensation to watch people go about their lives while he sat up on the metal escape, unseen. While he sat there, a large moving truck parked in front of the building. Its brakes squeaked and jerked as it came to a stop. Three men came out of the truck’s cabin after the engine shut off, and quickly went to work. They opened the back of the truck and began unloading box after box, not to mention beds, tables, chairs, and all kinds of furniture. 

From inside the apartment Jack heard Hiccup leave his bedroom and enter the living room, which connected to the fire escape. Jack glanced back inside and saw Hiccup talking on the phone with an exasperated look on his face. Must be his dad, Jack thought. 

“Yes, dad,” Hiccup sighed. “No, dad. Engineering. I’m still studying engineering. No, I don’t-”

“Hey, Hiccup,” Jack hissed and motioned for his roommate to join him.

“Huh?” Hiccup looked up and almost dropped the phone. He fumbled with it for a second and then spoke into it again. “Yeah, I’m still here. Can you hold on a minute, Dad? Jack needs me for something.” A pause. “Yes, Dad. I’m still living with that trouble making hooligan.” Hiccup rolled his eyes as he listened to his father on the other end.

Jack frowned and silently mouthed the word “hooligan” with indignation. Hiccup shrugged and gave him and apologetic look. 

“Yes, alright. I’ll call you later to talk about it, okay?” 

Another pause.

“Great. Bye.”

Hiccup hung up and let out a heavy sigh. “Sorry about that,” he said as he moved to the open window and climbed outside with Jack. “What’s going on?”

Jack chuckled and pointed down to the street. “Looks like we’re getting new neighbors.”

Hiccup leaned over to take a good look. “Huh,” he said and sat back down. “Hired movers. Must be someone with money to spare.”

“Makes you wonder what they’re doing coming here,” Jack said. “No offense to Bunny, but this place isn’t exactly the Taj Mahal.”

“You know he doesn’t like it when you call him that, Jack,” Hiccup warned.

Jack just shrugged and folded his arms behind his head. “He doesn’t like a lot of things I do. I think I’m okay with that.”

“Right, right,” Hiccup said as he stood up again. He brushed off his pants and slid back inside the apartment. “Just…try not to cause trouble for whoever’s moving in?” He sounded hopeful, but really he knew better than to ask that of Jack.

“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”

Hiccup sighed while Jack grinned. “I guess so.”

\---

Flynn Rider needed a place to hide. Running like he was would only get him so far, and soon the two goons chasing him would catch up. He’d always been better at sneaking away and hiding than he had been at running, anyway. Flynn knew he had pissed off the wrong people this time, but he had been doing it for years. What was one more little scrape to get out of? Okay, so maybe being late to pay off a debt to a loan shark was more than just a scrape, but he was Flynn Rider! He could handle anything. Despite the burning sensation in his lungs, and the ache as his feet hit the sidewalk, Flynn was confident. 

Abruptly he dodged around a corner, down Studio Street and kept running. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the brothers were still there, just a few paces behind. He’d been told their names before, but Flynn usually took to calling them the Stabbington Brothers. Given their usual choice of threats, the name was suitable. 

“Ah ha! Perfect!” Flynn cried. Up ahead he saw a moving truck parked next to his apartment complex. One mover was at the front door talking to the landlord, Aster Bunnymund. The other two movers were unloading a couch from the back of the truck. “That sure looks heavy,” Flynn said as he came closer. “Here let me help you with that.” Before the movers could reply, Flynn dodged to the back side of the couch and helped lift it up, blocking his face perfectly. Silently he thanked the two movers for not questioning the action and continuing with their work. The three of them were up the front steps of the building when Flynn heard the clumsy footfalls of the Stabbington Brothers. He risked a peek over the edge of the couch and saw them looking dumbfounded on the sidewalk. One of them scratched his head and shrugged. 

“He musta’ gone that way,” he grunted as he pointed beyond the moving truck. His brother agreed, and much to Flynn’s relief they sped off, far away from the apartment. Flynn sighed and carefully released the couch. The two movers frowned at him, but kept on their way. The other mover went back down to the back of the truck. 

“Awfully close call there, mate,” Bunnymund spoke up.

“You can say that again,” Flynn sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and grinned. 

“ _Flynn_ ,” Bunnymund said with a frown. “I’m serious. I want to look out for you, Rider, but I can’t have you goin’ round and causing trouble for the other residents.”

“I know. I know,” Flynn replied, feeling a bit guilty for a second. He’d probably be in even more trouble than he already was if Bunnymund hadn’t been there to give him a place to stay. “It won’t happen again.”

“Better not,” Bunnymund snorted and turned to go inside. Jack followed.

“So we’ve got a new tenant, I assume?”

“Two actually. Bloomin’ odd names.”

Flynn chuckled. “And you’re one to talk.”

“Shove it, Rider.”

\---

_Dun dun dun dun. Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun_.

“Oh!” Mavis gasped and scrambled over her bed to her cellphone on the bedside table. “It’s from Johnny!”

Her roommate, Titania laughed softly. “I sort of figured.”

“Really, Mavis,” Astrid, roommate number two, spoke up. “Don’t you think you could find a better ringtone than a funeral march?”

Mavis pouted. “Well, I like it.” She looked down at her phone and read the message three or four times before rolling back on her bed and letting out a small squeal of delight. “He’s coming to visit! He’s flying back from Japan next weekend!” 

Astrid rolled her eyes and went in search of her keys. “Well, Tooth,” she said, using Titania’s affectionate nickname. “Looks like Mavis is taking a one-way trip to Johnnyland for the next couple of hours. Why don’t we go catch a movie or something?”

Tooth’s face lit up and she bounced on to her feet. “I’d love to. Could we stop at the store on the way home? We’re getting awfully low on floss.”

“Sure,” Astrid said. She chuckled softly and slipped on a light jacket. With autumn rolling in the air was getting a bit cooler. Tooth did the same and they both headed to the door. “See you later, Mavis.”

“Hm?” Mavis blinked and looked up from her flurry of texts. “Oh! Right! Have a good time.” She waved and smiled before continuing her texting.

Astrid and Tooth left the apartment just as a pair of movers came down the hall with large couch. Quickly, they both pressed themselves against the wall to leave enough room for them to pass. When the couch and movers were clear, the two girls continued on their way.

“I guess someone new must be moving in,” Astrid said.

“New neighbors are always so exciting!” Tooth replied, excitedly. “I wonder what they’re like…”

“I wouldn’t say they’re _always_ exciting. Some can be a real pain. Like Jack.” Astrid indicated to Hiccup and Jack’s apartment across the hall.

“Oh,” Tooth said as she glanced at the apartment door. She shrugged and smiled softly. “I don’t think he’s all that bad. Maybe a bit rough around the edges…but not bad.”

“You’re just saying that because you like his smile. Those teeth like freshly fallen snow.” Astrid gave Tooth a knowing grin. 

Tooth blushed and gently pushed Astrid’s shoulder. “Not so loud! He’ll hear you!”

Astrid laughed, but didn’t say anymore on the subject. They took the stairs down to the front entrance and walked outside. The moving truck was parked on the side of the room with another mover keeping any eye on the open backside of the vehicle. The girls snuck a peek inside and saw piles of cardboard boxes and furniture crammed inside.

“Well,” Astrid said as they moved along. “Good or bad, some new people around the building will certainly be interesting.”


End file.
